WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS?

Folks, I apologize. I started off this morning feeling bad, but thought I simply had allergies — itchy itchy eyes, cold symptoms. Drove to New Orleans, and by the time I got here, I could barely see, my eyes were so goopy gross. Doc in the box trip to discover that I have come down with some sort of cold that decided my throat and ears weren’t quite enough territory to destroy… oh, nooooo, it wanted the eyes, too. So I’m hopped up on antibiotics, squinting at the monitor because the light is killing me, and my planned blog for the day is not going to happen. I will tell you now, though, tune in next time to find out about the secret doors and rooms we discovered in this New Orleans apartment that we’re using for an office while we’re here on a job. The amount of crime that went on in this place is staggering. (I have photos.) 🙂

Meanwhile, I think you’ll like this one, if you don’t happen to read Murderati, where I posted it Sunday. I took the images below here in New Orleans and… well… it’ll speak for itself. I hope you enjoy.

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS?

It’s misleading, really, when we see a final product, especially a book or a film that works because we think, “Of course–that’s the way it had to be.”

Ribbon Car (final image)

But truly, it didn’t. There were a million ways for the idea to go wrong, or to get mixed up with another idea (or a dozen other ideas) and become a delinquent, flaw-riddled ne’er do well of a thought, ruining all the hopes and plans of its parent. This happens more frequently than we writers like to admit; we want to keep the magic in front of the reader, not the seams and the dirty sleight-of-hand that cracks the illusion.

Ideas, you see, really aren’t that big of a deal. They’re constantly piled in heaps around us. Everyone comes across story ideas all day long, every single day. That woman who once walked by with a leaf on her nose? There’s a character. Who does that? Why? What other wonky things would she do? (I saw that woman fifteen-ish years ago, and still have not forgotten her. One day, she’s going to walk into a story and belong there, and then I’ll know why she kept perching on the idea pile.) Ideas clutter our brains like so much junk, jangling around, getting bumped and smothered with other ideas, then jostled again and again until two things become neighbors and we start seeing them differently.

I’d been staring out a window at a flag whipping in the wind for several days, when I had the opportunity to go onto the scrap yard where we’re doing some concrete work. This particular scrap yard goes on for acres and acres, with all sorts of industrial items that have been scrapped and are awaiting the shear or to be loaded into a barge, bound for some foundry somewhere. This particular pile is where the crushed cars are stacked, and when I looked through the lens, I only had the sense that there was a possibility of beauty amongst items that are past their prime, dying or decaying. It’s an odd thought, but I took a few wide-angle shots, just to sort of “see” the items, to start filtering out the surroundings and try to focus.

Ribbon Car (original image)

That’s when I noticed the red in the image, and I walked around the pile until I saw the red car. Ribbon Car (original image)I loved the way the metal seemed to bend and flow, like a ribbon (flag) in the wind, and I zeroed in on it and grabbed a shot. I was losing the light and we had to go, so it’s a crappy shot with bad exposure, but I knew I could edit it.

And see, that’s really the trick when it comes to art of any kind. It’s not just the idea–it’s the vision. What makes a piece unique and memorable is the artist’s specific vision: what they want to communicate, what story they want to tell. That story doesn’t generally happen in the first draft or without some sort of editing. That editing might occur internally–especially after the artist has some years of experience and knows what they want to look for, how they want to capture it. With practice, they may be able to execute that vision on the first try. Most creations, though, take editing–layers of thoughts, sifting–yes to this, no to that–tweaking here, highlighting there, focusing the emphasis where the artist wants your eye.

Most people will never see the thousand decisions that go into a story, if it works well. It’ll flow, make sense, be captivating, surprising-and-yet-somehow-fated. As artists, we need to also remember that it’s not terribly likely that we’re going to turn out something that is perfect on the first try. It may take layers and layers of editing before we get the story or the image into the shape we want, to tell the story that we want.

I’m in that place now with the new book. The first draft was done about a month or so ago, and I love three-fourths of it. I do not love one aspect of the ending (and I knew this all along), but I hadn’t quite seen through the debris of ideas to find the single way it had to be told. It took time away from it and then stepping around the pile, zooming in and seeing a specific section of the bigger image before I suddenly knew what I had captured, and therefore, what to enhance. Sure, I wish I had been able to turn out a pristine perfect draft out-the-gate and never have to edit, but that’s not the way I process ideas, so it’s never going to happen that way. I’ve made my peace with it, mostly because I love the editing process. (I love painting and photography for the same reason.)

Ironically, what started off as a quickie photo shoot turned into something startling to me, which then informed some of the writing I’m working on in a way I had not ever anticipated, so that was a bonus. Plus, now I am (on the side, as a hobby) working on a series of “ribbon” images like the red car above. I think it’ll help me see with a fresh perspective.

So what are your hobbies? What do you like to do just for the joy of doing it–because you love the process, not because you’re necessarily any good at it. What is it that you love about it? And if you don’t have a hobby, but have been thinking about one, which one, and why?

37 comments on “WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS?”

Besides reading, my favorite hobbies would be crocheting and beading. I have not done too much lately, but really need to get back into them. I like actually being able to see a finished product that I have made because it gives me a sense of accomplishment. I have make afgans for all my neices and nephews, along with parents, grandparents, etc. I got into beading last year and made a few things. But seeing as how I don’t wear jewelry much, they just sit around unless one of my nieces like the finished project and take it home with them.

Sorry you’re under the weather, Toni, but what a great post! I loved it! I love to garden–vegetables and flowers. I love having my fingers in the dirt, planting the seeds and/or delicate little starter plants, then watching them grow with a little watering and sometimes fertilizer. When the flowers are in full bloom it makes me so proud. When the veggies are ready to pick it feels so good to know they came from you own garden!

Thanks Deb–the eyes are doing better today, thank goodness. That was scary, it was so fast.

I so wish I’d gotten the gardening gene! I went through a spell in the late 90s when I gardened like a maniac and had a lot of potted plants and everything thrived… for a while… and then I got distracted (writing) and would forget to water and would think “tomorrow” and then a month or two later, when everything was brown, my mom would say, “You know, you might be able to revive some of those, if you’d go ahead and water them.” And I’d say, “why give them false hope?”

🙂

But I soooo love the look. I dream of a back yard of secret gardens and flowers and lush greenery. (sigh)

I have the plague (can’t be the flu, cause I got the damn shot!) So I know how you feel.

I make an ornament (out of felt and beads and stuff) to send out as my Christmas card every year. This will be the 5 year I’ve done it. Last year was an angel, before that a gingerbread man (my favorite). I start thinking up ideas in October and then figure out the logistics of it, can I make it and mail it? I usually make about 25 of them. I spend most of Nov making them. I love it. This year I am thinking of a snowman or a pair of mittens….

Toni, you have mad photo skills, woman! Your eye for detail is absolutely magical. And I think that’s why the stories you tell are magical, too.

I moved away from photography as a hobby. It was my job. And the things I photographed caught the worst humans and nature could unleash. I need to start looking at the little things again–the one daffodil that bloomed out of nowhere on my birthday, the cardinal sitting on the fence waiting for his mate to eat at the feeder, the way the sun plays on the bark of the tree outside my window. I have a damned expensive camera. I need to start carrying it. Or at least the pocket-sized digital. It takes pretty darn good photos, too.

Thanks, Toni. You’ve reminded me with this post that I need to step away from the keyboard sometimes and look–REALLY look–at the larger world around me.

Now, get well so you can enjoy NOLA. That’s one of my favorite cities in the world!

Aw, thank you, Silver. I’m just starting to really learn, I think. I mean, really *really* get what to do in order to achieve an effect (and I’m barely scratching the surface of possibilities, honestly). It’s a fascinating hobby.

I know what you mean, about capturing people at their worst–that had to be emotionally devastating and draining (both my sons go through that, as you know). I can understand why you would have put down the camera, but I hope you pick it back up again, to do like you’re talking about: find the beauty. I’d love to see what you found.

Love the image and your vision.
Besides reading and writing, I love playing hammered dulcimer and painting with pastels. Both things take me away from the keyboard and into another world of seeing everything from a new vantage point. No stress in those worlds.

Hope you feel better soon. I had a “goopy eye” (just one) for a whole year, then it just went away. My eye doctor had no explanation other than my tear duct might be blocked.

I don’t really have any hobbies other than reading and watching tv. I don’t do anything with my hands like crafts. I spend time planning /researching vacations and traveling which could be considered a hobby even though it’s only once or twice a year.

I’m right there with ya on the dancing. Not so much on the cooking. Unless we can add “burning” and “calling for take-out” as the follow-up hobbies… but if we added those in, I’d be considered a pro. 😉

Reading is kind of my hobby right now but I use to piece quilts a lot. I have just got out of it for a while, but need to start back. I love the process of it all coming together in the end, sometimes you never even know what they will look like until finished.

I (briefly) quilted when I was in my 20s and loved it, but it takes so much patience and I had so little–especially with writing, too–that I gave it up. I love hand-made quilts, though. My aunt Cleta does them and has made a business out of it, she’s so talented. (hmmm… must look into bugging her for one.)

By far my favorite hobby is reading. I am always reading! But my second favorite hobby is painting. I love to paint, even though I have absolutely no artistic talent at all. I rarely get to paint, but have been thinking about taking it up again now that both of my kids are in school all day. A few years ago I painted portraits of each of my children and they came out awful. Halway through I ran out of the paint and had to mix more and I couldn’t get the color right to save my life. So half their faces were a different color lol. My husband (who is quite artistically gifted) swears he loves them. I tried to throw them out but he refuses. I wish he would just tell me the truth about them lol. But even though they come out awful, I really do love painting 🙂

Tiffany, there is the very real possibility that he IS telling you the truth. 😉 I’m betting that there’s a lot more to those portraits than what you’re seeing–like your perspective, vision, choices of what to paint, etc. Celebrate that! And I hope you continue.

I’ve been dying to get back into oil painting, and even went so far as to go to the store to buy the paints. Then I calculated the amount of time I’d be spending painting if I got back into it… and I tend to get lost in painting for hours and hours at a time… and I knew if I bought those paints, I would never finish this book. So I left without them, but I’m still itching for them.

(I’d have to give up something–and I love photography, too… too much to give it up right now.)

Thanks, Jen, about the eye — I started photography at a young age, but anything I managed to do was dumb luck because I never understood aperture and ISO and shutter speeds. (Still kinda don’t, though it might be sinking in.) I just play with it and pray a lot. 😉

I have too many hobbies. Seriously, I love crafts (I could do craft stuff all day) and quilting and painting and if you give me five minutes in a glass blowing place, I’d be trying to take that up, too. I need a few extra lifetimes, dammit. 😉

Diane, what a unique hobby! I was actually pretty good in square dancing (our P.E. class had it as one of our required segments. I suspect they don’t still do that now. I can’t really figure out why they did it then, either.) It’s fun, though. 😉 I hope you do at least still enjoy watching those costumes twirl around the floor!

Something I do just for joy? Definitely growing plants and flowers. I’ve stumbled through the process for a few years now and my patio looks quite gorgeous! I had no idea plants could bring me so much joy! And next weekend I’m planning a big shopping trip to the Lowe’s greenhouse. I’m more excited than if I were going to the designer outlets. Does that mean I’m getting old? xo

LOL.. nah, you’re not getting old. Because I’ve seen a couple of photos of your patio and those plants, and you are pretty stunning at that, m’lday. I soooo wish I were there to watch you and maybe get some pointers. 😉

(Besides, you always look fabulous. I can’t fathom you needing to go to a designer anything.)

Tamibates, my grandmother used to do this with me when I was little. (It’s how I got addicted to crafts and art!) I still have the very first thing we made together, which was a ceramic frog wearing tennis shoes. (It just somehow made sense.)

What a neat project, collecting artifacts and swords! Swords? Swords! Wow. 🙂 I’ll bet the rest of the family doesn’t mess with you when you’re annoyed.

I love to craft! Kind of doesn’t matter what the craft is, I just love trying it. Sometimes, the major failures are the most fun! I also love to cook. Big, crazy, stupid recipes. Sometimes they rock and sometimes, not so much. I had one of those yesterday. But, I had so much fun putting it all together. I was totally jazzed when I finished.

Stephanie, I loved playing softball as a teenager. (Pitched.) I kept thinking as I got older, that I’d find a women’s softball league, but I haven’t, and now I’m traveling too much. But man, there is just nothing like nailing one out of the park, is there? 😉

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Bio:

Allison Brennan

Allison Brennan is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly three dozen romantic thrillers and mysteries, including the Lucy Kincaid series and the Max Revere series. She lives in Northern California with her husband, five children, and assorted pets.